The Life and Lies of the Four Founders
by SnilyTheGoose
Summary: A brief look into the relationship between the Four Founders as the opening of Hogwarts draws near and how dynamics are changing. NO CHARACTERS ARE MINE ALL ARE PROPERTY OF J K ROWLING


*** HELGA ***

Looking around my houses new common room, I couldn't have been more pleased. It was homely and cosy but still had the feeling of a school, making it the perfect environment for the place I imagine my students would relax and work. The golden wall hangings were draped lazily on the walls with large, puffy armchairs that looked as if they could absorb a human being in softness the second they sat in it. Everywhere you looked was either yellow or black – my preference of house colours – with copper lamps floating above where hands could reach to give a dim, cosy glow to the room. All that was left to determine was the dormitories, which I would decide at a later date: for now, I was exhausted from the days work and needed to go meet the others for a meeting about the progress of the day.

I emerged from the barrels and wandered into the kitchen to my left. Alas, there was no one there, leaving me feeling intimidated by it's size. Everything was new, the architecture perfect, but it was completely unused, as of yet. It was Godric who had decided it would be a good idea to leave it until the opening of the school, but I had a sudden occurrence: who would run the kitchen? If we were to meet our aim, we would have hundreds of students at Hogwarts, but it would be impossible to feed them all just by the four of us. Anyways, we'd be teaching, we'd have no time for cooking. With no food conjuring spells possible, we would need someone there to make it.

'Helga, I've been looking for you everywhere!' exclaimed Rowena, exasperated by the looks of her. 'Where on earth have you been?'

'In my common room, not that I'd tell you where it is,' I laughed, much to her disappointment. 'For someone so smart, anyone would think you'd be far more cunning in trying to find out.'

'Well, I'm sure Godric will be easier to crack, he's not got the common sense you have,' she sighed, gently. 'Why are you in the kitchen?'

'I was looking for everyone and … has it not occurred to you that we'll have no one to cook for all of us?'

Rowena paused, and slightly pursed her lips. 'Meaning?'

'Well, we can't very well do it can we? We'll be busy, and we could end up with hundreds of students for all we know, teenagers! They tend to be hungry.'

'I know that, I almost have one,' she muttered, 'Honestly, you'd think she would … never mind.'

I looked at my friend, who was now avoiding my gaze. I was aware of the problems she was having with her daughter, Helena, despite her trying to hide it from the rest of us. In some ways, it made me feel lucky to not have any children of my own. 'Rowena-'

'We should go and find the other,' she said, pointedly. 'Tell them about this problem you've found.' And with that she turned and half ran from the room.

Rowena had been my friend since we were young, when we met whilst travelling. It was her Scottish accent that made her stand out, the one accent I knew amidst the European language I knew nothing of. We attached ourselves to each other and progressed on on our journey together, ending up lifelong friends. Yet, with nearly thirty years of companionship, she still finds it hard to speak to me about her family issues, which always upsets me. Not that she won't talk to me, the fact that she is so hurt by her love for her family. Valuing intelligence above all else, she sees emotions as weaking, which is the reason – I believe – she doesn't talk about it.

I followed her out of the room, and up the stairs to the Great Hall where Godric and Salazar seemed to be in deep discussion about something. 'Helga has had a thought,' Rowena shouted to them, and they turned to us.

'I'm sure it's something earth-shattering,' Salazar said, in a bored voice, followed by a mocking, but humble, smile. 'Not more about animals and plants, I hope.'

I sighed, knowing that, despite the four of us being a tight-knit group, it is Salazar I am furthest from, and he who has the tendency to irritate me with his condescending comments. As usual, Godric came to my rescue. 'Don't be awful, Salazar, I'm sure it's very important. Most things you say are.'

I smiled at him and sat down on a bench, looking up to the three of them. 'The kitchens. We have no one to cook, no one to serve us. How are we supposed to run a school with no one to cook for us?'

There was a pause.

'Is that earth-shattering enough for you?' I demanded, surprised at the anger in my voice.

I've never been an angry person, though I do stand up for myself, but I could tell Salazar was taken aback. 'Oh, well, I do apologise. That is a good thought,' he answered, sitting down on another bench.

For a moment no one spoke. 'You have an amazing amount of ability with food related charms,' Godric said. 'Surely, you could do anything in a heart beat, with your talent.'

He looked at me eagerly and I almost frowned, sadly. 'Thank you, but you can't create food from nothing. It's impossible. I could try but … no, I can't imagine it would ever work. We need someone to do it.'

'One of us must know someone who could help,' Rowena said.

'No!' Salazar interjected. 'I thought it was agreed, the four of us and no one more. Four is a good enough number, five would throw the dynamics and there's no one else all of us trust.'

'Trust? If one of us trusts someone, surely all of us would,' I pointed out.

Salazar rolled his eyes, 'Not me.'

I chose to avoid making anything more awkward, 'Who says it has to be a person?'

The three of them looked at me, as if I'd gone mad. 'What? Animals?' Rowena asked, with a look on her face I know means _Stop right now_. For once, I chose to not give in to her.

'Why not? Most are trustworthy and loyal, they wouldn't turn against us, I'm sure.'

Salazar put his head in his hands and groaned. 'You and your animals.'

'I think it's a great idea,' Godric nodded, though his face was almost a replica of Rowena's. 'You always know how to solve a problem!'

'Providing you all agree with me.' I raised one eyebrow and looked from Rowena to Slazar.

'What animals could you trust?' Salazar asked.

'Animals couldn't comprehend what we'd want-' Rowena started.

'Of course they could. Some, anyways. Some creatures are basically human beings, with their intelligence, most of the time without our worse qualities.' I snapped, surprising myself once again. Blushing at my sudden outburst, I lowered my voice. 'I'm sure somewhere we'd find something. I promise, I'll do everything … just trust me.'

'I trust you,' Godric said, patting my shoulder and turning to Slazar.

'You've never been wrong before,' Rowena admitted.

'Only if I get to say I told you so,' Salazar grinned, shaking his head. 'What am I getting myself into?'

I smiled and stood up. 'I'd better go start looking then.'

*** GODRIC ***

Helga left the Great Hall and Rowena instantly turned to Salazar. 'Do you have to attack her like that?' she demanded, in her motherly way.

'Animals? Rowena, you know that's as bad an idea as I do!' Salazar exclaimed.

'Oh, of course I do, but leave her be. You don't have to be so cruel,' she snapped. 'She's more sensitive than you think.'

'Oh, don't go all mother on me,' Salazar scowled.

The two glared at each other and neither spoke, simply trying to stare each other out. 'We just have to go with it, you never know, it could work,' I said, trying to diffuse the argument.

This, however, backfired dramatically, as Rowena turned on me instantly. 'And what do you think you were doing? Agreeing to everything she says like an over-attached puffskein!'

I almost fell backwards, I felt her throw so much metaphorical anger at me. I looked to my oldest friend to back me up. 'Yes, you really do have to stop following everything she does, it's getting ridiculous,' Salazar complained.

'I don't …' but my words faded because I knew I had no defence.

'Either tell her or leave her alone,' Rowena advised, with her usual air of superiority. 'She's fragile.'

'She's not as fragile as you think. Look at how she just stood up to you, stop treating her as if she's five years old. She's a grown woman.' I knew I had to defend her but I could see the looks I was getting.

'You think you know her better than I do?' Rowena laughed. 'We were friends long before you were even in the picture. She's not interested in you, Godric, so my advice is to just leave her to be happy. The last thing we need is to have all this awkwardness around us.'

I felt a roar of fire in my chest, but ignored it. I simply nodded. 'Right, I'm going to the Three Broomsticks, if anyone would like to join me?' Salazar stood up. 'Godric?'

I turned to my friend but felt embittered by our conversation. For most of our lives we had known each other, had always known each other inside out. And now he turns from me so easily. Not once has he stood up for me, when I am attacked by Rowena and not once has he offered any advice other than to shut up and get on with it. So I shook my head. 'No, I have things I need to sort out for my common room. Also, a home for the hat, I suppose.'

I looked him right in the eyes, knowing that I could win any staring contest with him. He frowned and turned to Rowena. 'Would you like to join me?'

She paused. 'I'd better go and see Helena. She might need something.'

Me and Salazar glanced at one another automatically. We'd recently been warned by Helga to avoid any conversation regarding Helena after an event a few weeks before that had left Rowena almost in tears. Helga had been quick to blame us for bringing up Helena. But how were we to know there was anything wrong with them? A lack of women's intuition, by the way Helga made it sound.

Rowena sighed and disappeared with a gentle crack. Neither me or Salazar spoke. Silently, he turned and marched from the Hall, the emerald of his cloak almost shining under the thousands of candles above us. I waited for a minute to be sure he was out of earshot before picking up a plate from the table and hurling it and the wall. It smashed with a loud echo around the Hall before the pieces tumbled to the floor with a dull metallic clang. I only had to raise my wand for the plate to reform and land back on it's original spot.

Love and anger seemed to be annoyingly closely connected. Every time I hinted to Helga and she was oblivious, I felt the familiar surge of emotion rise in my chest. And every time that I was attacked by Rowena and Salazar about it, I felt the urge to hex them. If I wasn't able to control myself, I'm sure both wouldn't be looking healthy at that moment. And yet, despite the anger, I couldn't help but feel the way I did about Helga: her smile never seemed to disappear and when I saw it it filled me with a warmth that nothing else could; her gentle Welsh accent made me happier than anything else; her fiery hair that matched my own; her deep blues eyes …

And yet, she didn't notice me. As far as she was concerned, I was one of the four, just a best friend. When we chose the characteristics to instil into the Sorting Hat, it wasn't her who complimented me, even though I had outlined so many of her perfect traits. She had plenty to say about Rowena and even Salazar, whom she doesn't even get on with, particularly. So why me? Why did she ignore me?

Was I not the most courageous of us? Surely that's an attraction? Were we not best suited to each other? Outside of our circle, only Rowena has close relationships, and they're only with her husband and daughter. So why hold off? Why not love me?

All these thoughts swimming through my head, I wandered aimlessly around the castle, until I found myself in my common room. I slumped on one of the squashy armchairs and glanced around. This love, this anger, made me vulnerable. Did it make me weak? It was myself I was angry with, not Helga. I needed a way to express my feelings, to make her understand. I lifted my wand and pointed it at the practically bare walls. A second later, fabric shot from the end of it and wall hangings appeared, with a variety of animals on them. A salute to her. The fire was burning brightly and made the room stuffy. There seemed to be an aroma that it created that caused my eyes to droop, and eventually I allowed myself to give into the sleep.

When I felt myself regain consciousness, I realised that the sky was still dark. I concluded that, with it being mid-June, it was still night. Yet, I had just slept and couldn't continue to do so, despite my best efforts. I left the common room and found myself in the castle grounds. There was a wide range of different plants growing and living, waving in the slight breeze. I planted myself on a wall near the entrance, overlooking the Black Lake and, in the distance, Hogsmeade. The moonlight left a flattering glimmer on the water, that showed it off perfectly. The minutes passed peacefully and I tried to think of anything beside my heartache. Thankfully, my prayers were answered.

Stumbling along the path was Salazar, drunker than I'd ever seen him. 'Hello, Godric!' he shouted out to me, his words slurring. 'What are you doing out here?'

'Waiting to accompany you inside, I suppose,' I frowned as he stumbled along a very flat path.

'Oh, you,' he cackled. 'Don't be so wet, I can walk myself! You, on the other hand, need to go and find something to do other than whinge about Helga and how she doesn't love you. I mean, how much more boring could you be?' He fell on his face and groaned, before accepting his place on the ground and hiccupping. Without regret, I raised my wand.

I walked away from the scene, ignoring the sound of his screams of agony, heading towards the Black Lake for some peace.

*** ROWENA ***

I arrived at home to find it as usual: empty. I walked up the stairs and pushed open the wooden door of Helena's bedroom, which had no trace she had ever been there. I went into my own bedroom and sat down on the edge of my bed. Where was Helena? She has a habit of wandering off, despite her young age, no doubt another attempt to illustrate how much she hates me. She was probably being followed by that boy who always seemed to be lingering around her. He was obsessive with the way he followed her and I know she has no interest in him. Yet, he still receives more of her attention than I ever could.

Furthermore, my husband was nowhere to be seen, another normality. He journeyed a lot around Europe, trying to discover new places. His adventures had always seemed so romantic and I was attracted to the idea that he was trying to educate the people about the world when we were younger, especially when I met him on my own excursion with Helga. But as we aged, I found it to be more and more distasteful and we found ourselves growing apart, distancing ourselves with more than just the countries that often separated us.

I sunk down into my bed and shut my eyes. I drifted in and out of sleep, knowing I wouldn't be able to relax properly until I knew Helena was home and was safe but it wasn't until much later that I heard the door open downstairs. It took all my strength to get myself out of bed, but when I had I stepped into the corridor and came face to face with her.

'Hello, mother,' she mumbled.

'And where do you think you've been at this time of night?' I demanded.

She didn't answer. 'I was out.'

'Out where?'

'Just out. I went into the village-' she stopped, instantly, knowing she'd said too much.

'The village? Helena, how many times do I have to tell you, you can't go there! They're muggles, Helena, and you can't control your magic. What if you did something! Imagine what they could do to you? They could hurt you!' I was working myself into a massive panic.

She rolled her eyes, 'But they didn't.'

'They could! Don't you understand? Do you not realise? Do you not have any common sense?' I was close to hyperventilating.

'And what else am I supposed to do? Sit around here? Alone?' she shouted at me, her eyes close to tears. 'You're never here because you're off with all of your friends. Father's never here because he's probably on the other side of the world. I'm not going to sit around here all day on my own, waiting for you to come back.'

I stopped, feeling extremely hurt. 'You're old enough to be here on your own.'

'Yes, but I have nothing to do. Except sit on a chair and wait. And I won't, Mother, I won't.'

I could see the streaks of silvery tears on her cheeks in the candlelight. I reached out to wipe them away and gently turned her head up to look at me. 'Helena, I have so much I need to be doing right now. To set up the school, it's important. And then you can come and be there for the whole year, but we need the time to make it possible.'

'And until then, what?' she asked, her voice shaking a little bit.

I felt my own tears coming. I got onto my knees so I was at her eye level and put my face close to hers. 'I love you.'

She didn't respond for a few moments. She shut her eyes and let more tears fall before nodding. 'I know.'

'You need your sleep,' I said, softly, letting her go.

She went into her room and shut the door, leaving me standing in the hallway. I went back to my own bedroom and lay on the bed. By the time I'd stopped crying, the sun was appearing through the window and I had to get myself ready for another day.

I went into her bedroom and saw her curled up in her bed, her dark hair all across her face. I gently moved it away from her face and kissed her forehead gently. For a while I sat on the side of her bed, wishing I could make her understand. It was when I finally got up to leave that she finally revealed she was awake. 'I love you, Mother.'

'I love you too, Helena,' I whispered, before walking out of her room and disapparating.

As I adjusted to the bright light in the Hogwarts entrance, my knees felt weak. I couldn't face anyone yet, least of all Helga, who saw through me like a sheet of glass. As me and Helena grew apart, I realised just how much I was becoming someone else, someone my friends didn't know. I wasn't the person I had been when we met. I was someone distant, who chose not to be around them as much as possible. None of them had children yet, it would be impossible for them to understand how much it wears you and hurts you to be a parent. So it was my mission to return to this point with them. I had to, in order to stay sane, or the combination of my daughter's hatred and the loss of my only friends would near kill me, I was sure. I was supposed to be the clever one of us, yet I was stuck for ideas. I needed inspiration, and decided the best place for that would be my own common room, which seemed to exude intellect. Carefully avoiding the other three, I crept up to Ravenclaw Tower and seated myself in a chair by one of the windows, looking out across the view with a heavy heart.

I hoped none of the others would find me here and I allowed myself to sit for hours, thinking, before deeming myself acceptable for them to see.

*** SALAZAR ***

I could hardly remember what had happened when I woke up in the morning. All I knew was that the sun was shining strongly into my back and I had a thumping headache. I sat upright, unaware of why I was lying in the castle entrance.

I managed to stand and stumbled inside the castle. But the pain in my head was so much I had to sit on the steps leading up to the first floor. What was wrong with me? The last thing I remembered was making my way back to the castle after being in the Three Broomsticks. I sat up straight when I realised what had happened. It must have been that wizard I'd had the fight with. Well, wizard was stretching it. He was a mudblood who I challenged to duel, knowing he couldn't have been able to use the wand he'd stolen from a true wizard. True enough, I destroyed him and left him in the alley, hopefully to die. However, he must have cursed me with some kind of side effect that I became befuddled.

If I ever saw him again I'd ensure it was the end of his life.

Knowing how it had happened wasn't going to stop the pain, though, so I sat, waiting for it to stop. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Rowena, who, upon seeing me, shrieked at the top of her lungs.

I leapt to my feet, looking at her. 'What? What is it?' Was their someone behind me? What was wrong?

'What happened to your face?' she choked, the fear gone from her face, now replaced by a sort of perplexed confusion.

'What do you mean what happened to my face?' I demanded, 'What's wrong with it?'

She spun around, looking for something, before leading me up to the first floor where there was the biggest mirror I'd ever seen. I looked into it and could have screamed as much as Rowena had.

My nose had doubled in size and my eyes were bloodshot and bulging out of my skull. My lips were purple and puffy and my skin had gigantic boils all over it. I gasped and then tried to understand what he could have possibly done. 'Mudblood!' I yelled furiously.

Rowena jumped, 'What?' Her eyes seemed to twitch at the word "mudblood".

'That damned Mudblood at the Three Broomsticks! He did this to me! How did he learn such sorcery?' I shouted in her direction.

Rather than be intimidated by my anger, she took her usual position by overruling. 'Calm down!' she scowled, before waving her wand effortlessly. Within moments, my face was returning to normal, deflating to normal size. 'I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shout so early in the morning, I've had little sleep.' Damn, she was a proud woman, believing she was more important. 'I would also appreciate it you didn't speak in such ways.'

'You know as well as I do how little they deserve-' I began.

'I would favour those of magical background, yes, but I don't believe that to brand them in such a way is acceptable,' she hissed, before turning around.

'Rowena, what is wrong with you?' I demanded, grabbing her shoulder.

She turned to face me again, shaking my hand from her. 'Don't grab me like that.'

'Then talk to me?'

'About what?' she sneered, 'What would you want to talk about that would possibly interest me? I don't want to hear your rant about someone hexing you or hear you complain about anyone else, or anything else. I don't want to hear you right now.'

I could hardly speak as she turned and stormed down the stairs, but I could have sworn I saw her face change to upset rather than anger. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what could have happened that had made her so aggravated. In the Great Hall, I spotted Godric appear from another corridor. 'Godric!' I shouted down to him, wishing to talk about Rowena.

He stopped with a sour face and turned. 'What?' he asked, bitterly.

'What have I done to make you all so angry with me?' I scowled, 'First that stupid mudblood, then Row-'

'Don't call them that!' Godric snapped, 'They've got as much magic in them as you or I.'

'Please,' I spat, 'You and your mudblood loving attitude, it makes me sick that a wizard as great as you treats them with any kind of respect.'

'Have I not already taught you to leave me alone?'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

He looked at me quizzically before shaking his head and heading in the same direction Rowena had gone. I followed him, ending up back with Rowena outside on a hillside. Godric went to sit down beside her, 'Helga sent me an owl to say … what's wrong?'

He stayed stood beside her before sitting and taking her hand. Her eyes were full of tears and she did nothing but shake her head, sniffing loudly. I stood behind them, unsure what to do.

Godric spoke to her softly, asking her what was wrong but she shook her head insistently. 'Rowena,' he said, lightly, 'Tell me what's wrong.'

'Everything,' she sniffed, her voice crackly and weak.

They had completely ignored me. Rowena was my friend, too, so why was I being so blatantly disregarded? 'Am I invisible?'

The two turned to me, Godric's annoyed frown and Rowena's tear-stricken, unbelieving face. 'What? Can't you see me? I'm here, as well, you know. And, in case you've forgotten, I'm your friend as well.'

'Everything always has to be about you,' Godric scowled. 'I can't believe it. No, I can believe it. Your best friend is in need and you're still complaining about you.'

Rowena didn't speak, she looked from Godric to me. 'Oh, acting like I'm the one in the wrong. You're the one who's suddenly a different person, like you hate me and you don't want to be around any more.'

'Stop it, no, stop it,' Rowena murmured, her voice still quiet.

'Don't get me started on you, Rowena, I don't know who you are these days, whatever's going on with you and Helena and-'

I was thrown off my feet and slammed into a wall about twenty metres behind where I had been stood. Godric and Rowena both had wands raised at me, but their faces were on Helga who had just appeared, who seemed to be the one who'd just cursed me. I jumped to my feet and held up my own wand.

And no one moved.


End file.
